In the second week of December, snowflakes have been falling all over the sky for three days, and there is a vast expanse of land as far as the eye can see.
It is difficult for the army to carry out large-scale operations after heavy snow closes the road. After all, it is difficult for soldiers to exert their combat effectiveness in the ice and snow. Moreover, the transportation of military supplies and baggage on the ice-covered road is also an insurmountable problem.
Anticipating that the Swabian army would not make any major moves before the snow melted, Art left the 2nd Infantry Regiment of the Border Guard Corps and several troops directly under the Chinese Army in the abandoned village on the border between the two countries, and then he led his guards on horseback through the snow to return to the rear.
Behind the border, there is still a Geneborg waiting to be recovered. The decision to recover Geneborg was not a whim of Art, it was actually a helpless move.
As the Liberation Army pressed forward step by step on the Western Front, it was only a matter of time before the city of Besançon was captured. Once Flanders captured the city of Besançon, which symbolized the rule of the County of Burgundy, it would inevitably declare its inheritance of the title and right to rule, and then be promoted to the title of knight based on merit.
Att accumulated some military merits while on the Western Front. In fact, he was pre-proclaimed Viscount before going to the dangerous eastern border alone because he had laid the foundation for some military merits.
However, as the power and strength expanded day by day, and as the heads piled up under his feet, Art's ambitions also became more and more inflated.
It would be relatively easy if you just barely hold on to the Swabian offensive in the east to prevent the Eastern Front from being eroded, and buy time for the Western Front Liberation Army to return reinforcements. If you are lucky, you can also get the title of Viscount of the Frontier after the war, but it is probably only the title of Viscount of the Frontier. It was just a title, and at most two manors, fiefs, or hundreds of thousands of pfennigs could be given as rewards. After all, in this nationwide civil strife, compared to the troops who were attacking cities and plundering territory on the western front, this military achievement of barely defending the territory had only a glimmer of glory. In the end, the Liberation Army had to clean up the mess.
But if you can defend the enemy and beyond the country's borders and lead the army to regain the lost territory, such military achievements will be dazzling enough. The promotion of the earl is somewhat reluctant, but it is not difficult to be granted the title of viscount. What's more important is that a large number of officers under his command can also be awarded the title of knighthood for their merit.
With such an ambition as motivation, and with the help of the huge amount of property and supplies gained from attacking Bufan County some time ago, Art decided to take a risk.
Hence, the "raging" in Bufan County was very fruitful, and Art immediately adjusted his plan to have Angus lead the elite First Infantry Regiment to turn around and return to Geneborg, which was occupied by the Swabians, and first blocked Geneborg's communication with the outside world.
Immediately, Art led the 2nd Infantry Regiment and several directly affiliated troops deep into the hinterland of Swabia, intending to focus the attention of the Swabian army on the sharp blade that pierced the chest and abdomen. However, a heavy snow interrupted Art's plan. He did not dare to take risks and stagnated his lone army in the enemy's territory. The reason why he dared to lead his army in the enemy's territory was because he had more than forty tanks under his command, and he could pull the soldiers to move and escape at any time.
After returning to the border, Art continued to deploy troops on the border, putting pressure on the Swabians that they might attack again at any time, forcing the Swabians not to concentrate all their forces on Wallenberg or Geneborg.
At this time, Ater had already crossed the blockade of Gennebourg by Angus and arrived at Bramont City, an important stronghold behind the eastern border defense line.
For Art, Bramond has become the strategic support point for his offense and defense. All the army's money, food, materials and soldiers' injuries and health rely on Bramond's turnover and dispatch.
Ate wanted to recapture Genebourg and even Medieres and Caplediere (Note: These two cities are located on the edge of the mountainous area south of Wallonburg, and their strategic location is relatively minor.) It is not enough to rely solely on his thousands of soldiers. After the fall of the three cities of Genebourg, Medieres and Capulediere, five to six hundred border defenders retreated to the rear. There were still four to five hundred local lords' private soldiers and county soldiers at the rear of the border headed by Bramont who could be dispatched.
This thousand people and the thousands of people under Art's command and more than 2,000 soldiers (these are considered relatively professional soldiers) may be able to accomplish something if they are commanded and dispatched properly.
This is also the purpose of Art's return to Bramon in the snow.
By the time Ater arrived at Bramon, the European trading caravan led by Salter, who was trading with enemy countries in the east, had already been in Bramon for a day. They had loaded the gold, silver and valuables that Ater had "forced" from Bufan City into the caravan carriage and were preparing to return south.
At ordered the caravan to stop going south because he wanted to put the gold and silver money to use immediately.
At noon on the third day after returning to Bramon, groups of men and horses of different sizes rushed through the snow to gather in Bramon City and entered the Lord Bramon Hall.
Just two days ago, a dozen messenger cavalry teams of two people carried a military order and dispersed around Bramon as the center.
These military orders were issued by Baron Artwood Wells, who was also the border military officer of the Province of Yona and the commander-in-chief of the Border Guard Corps of the Province of Yona. The content of the military orders was very simple. He summoned nine forts and twelve fortresses in the two counties east of Yona (some of which have become All subordinate lords, army commanders and palace-appointed officials from the enemy-occupied areas came to Bramond City to gather and obey the order. In order to make the military order more credible, Viscount John of Bramond and the palace military adviser Sir Banting both stamped their heraldic lacquer seals on the military order.
However, a military order from the Yona Province Border Military Officer and the Commander-in-Chief of the Yona Province Border Guard Corps who were appointed at the last moment could not make those lord officers and officials at all levels come through the snow. The fundamental motivation for these people to come despite the snow and blocked roads was the last sentence of Art in the military order - to discuss how to distribute one million pfennigs, and whoever comes will be rewarded.
In this world, in addition to God, money has all the omnipotent attributes.
In the side hall of Lord Bramon's hall, Art was chatting with the palace military advisers.
…Sir Banting, I would like to ask you to mediate on the Jonah court’s behalf. If you can persuade the Jonah court to send elite troops to the east for reinforcements, I will be very grateful.”
"Ron, bring the things prepared for Sir Banting." Art waved to Ron who was standing at the gate. Ron brought a brocade box in and placed it on the wooden table in front of Banting, the palace's military adviser.
Att opened the brocade box, which contained gold cakes, silver coins, and jewelry made of pearls, agate, enamel, glass and other raw materials. "Sir Banting, you came to the East just like me to achieve a prominent military exploit that can lead to a knighthood. This This time I am determined to regain the lost territory in the east. If I can successfully regain it, your name will definitely be in the military merit book."
"Here are gold and silver jewels worth fifty thousand pfennigs. You can take them back to the court of Jonah. , I hope you can use these things to obtain a reliable reinforcement for the army in the east to resist foreign enemies and regain the lost territory. I will give you twenty days at most. As long as the Yona Palace is willing to send troops to support, I am willing to pay in advance. Military expenditures for reinforcements are wasted! ‖
Ate hopes to mobilize all the forces that can be mobilized. The soldiers and civilians of the nine forts and twenty fortresses in the two counties in the east will definitely be the main force, but one more support army will increase the chance of victory.
Banting was also a little excited. In order to accumulate enough military honors, he certainly hoped that Art would toss as hard as possible. Anyway, he did not need to fight on the battlefield. "Lord Art, for God and Burgundy, I will do my best! I will immediately lead my entourage back to the city of Jonah through the snow. Within twenty days, I will bring as many soldiers as possible to assist you."
Banting said, closing the brocade box, holding it in his arms, and stood up and left the side hall.
"Have all the lord officers from all over the place arrived?" Art asked Ron.
"All the lords of Bramon County have arrived, and most of the independent territories to the north of Bramon have also arrived. Several castles and fortresses in the southern part of Galalu County have already sent people here, but Lord Viscount Herith and the castles and fortresses south of Galalu City will probably have to wait for some time." Ron replied.
The war that Yate is about to launch will basically focus on the eastern border and the north, so he has no hope of the southern army. "Wear armor for me!" In the dark and spacious lord's hall of Bramont City, lords and officials at all levels from all over the country arrived one after another. Viscount John's servants kept bringing the steaming food and wine prepared on wooden trays to the hungry and cold lords and officials.
There are already more than thirty people in the hall. Some of them are viscounts and barons, some are knight lords, some are castle sheriffs, some are retreating frontier commanders, and some are just squires and village elders. These people came from all over the country after learning about the emergency military order. Most of them were attracted by the "divide" of one million pfennigs and the promise of a reward for those who came.
Many lords in the hall were enjoying the hot food while discussing loudly. Wild boar hunting and mistress beauties are of course the eternal topics of this group of men, but the core topic of discussion today is the million pfennigs in the military order.
When all the lords and officials learned that the military officer of the Eastern Territory had really gone to Swabia and plundered more than one million pfennigs of gold and silver, they were all excited. This meant that "dividing up" one million pfennigs was not a lie.
While the commotion was going on, Art, who was wearing a bright chainmail, and Viscount John, who was wearing the uniform of a viscount, walked into the lord's hall with their bodyguards and entourage.
Everyone in the hall stood up and stood in silence, paying tribute to Viscount John and Baron Art.
Viscount Yohn is the Sheriff of Bramont County. Except for a few important fortresses on the border and three or four independent territories (private territories of other lords), most of the areas are within his theoretical jurisdiction, so the lords in the hall are very polite to Yohn.
Yate's reputation in the eastern border of Yona is not small. Not to mention that he has led the army to resist the Swabian offensive in Wallonia and Genet in recent months. His "outstanding" military exploits at Talmuburg a few years ago are enough to make everyone pay attention.
Jon took the main seat in the hall, and Art sat beside him.
Viscount John cleared his throat and asked everyone in the hall to quiet down.
"Everyone, Baron Arter and I have summoned you with a military order, for the safety of the entire Burgundy County, and also for a military exploit that will give you a lifetime of glory."
Viscount John's words brought everyone into a circle. Didn't he agree to share the money? How come the country's safety and military exploits were involved?
John glanced at Art beside him, turned to the confused people and said: "Let Baron Art tell everyone the details."
Art nodded, stood up and held the hilt of his sword, "Everyone, to put it simply, call everyone here. Just for two things - to share money and fight! "
"A few weeks ago I led the army into the Swabian border Bufan County and looted it fiercely. I wiped out the entire Bufan County and gained more than a million pfennigs of gold and silver. Everyone here has a share of this money."
Everyone in the hall was buzzing for a moment. In recent years, wars in the eastern border of Jonathan have continued, and the border lords have lived a very miserable life. Every time they took a breath, the Swabians would come and wreak havoc. The lords' families really had no food left.
Now a million pfennigs suddenly came out for everyone to divide, which made the lords extremely excited.
However, free fine wheat bread will never fall from the sky, and the lords know it well.
"It's very simple to take this million pfennig from my hands. There is only one condition - assemble an army and fight with me!" With one million pfennig as a base, Art didn't have to waste any time.
“The city of Besançon has been captured on the Western Front. We also need military exploits on the Eastern Front. So I plan to regain the lost ground. The first is Geneborg. This is the most important place on the Eastern Defense Line besides Wallonia. It is now under the iron heel of the Swabians. I want to crush the Swabians in Geneborg. Crushed to death, take back our castle from Swabia."
"I already have a thousand elite soldiers, and it may be enough to attack Geneborg. But the defenders of Geneborg are not the most deadly threat, because the Swabians still have a thousand-man army stationed in Onan City..."
"In one week, I will gather another thousand elite soldiers to attack Geneborg. All of you here are lords and officials who have soldiers, and I am willing to spend money to hire soldiers from you. The heavy cavalry is ten pfennigs per day, the light cavalry is five pfennigs per day, and the elite warriors are per day. Three pfennigs, one pfenni for ordinary soldiers, and half a copper coin per day for miscellaneous soldiers."
"These money are directly given to you for military expenses. If you kill the enemy on the battlefield and make military achievements, there will be rewards, and the profits captured from killing the enemy on the battlefield will also belong to each of you."
"There are only two requirements. One is that the troops to be recruited must be elite; secondly, all armies must provide their own weapons, armor and horses."
"You will provide the troops and equipment, but the food and grass during the army's recruitment will be provided by me... I will use one million Fennets to regain the lost territory of Burgundy!"
The hall roared...